British swimmer Mark Foster, who was banned for wearing a Speedo bodysuit, claims swimming chiefs treated him "like a dog."

But British Olympic Association Chef de Mission Simon Clegg has denied being heavy-handed after Foster's accreditation was taken away for breaking a sponsorship agreement.

Foster broke the rules by wearing a

Speedo-branded bodysuit instead of the BOA-approved bodysuit during the men's 50 metres freestyle final.

The swimmer was forced to move out of the athletes' village and sleep on a friend's couch in Sydney before heading back for Britain.

The disgruntled 30-year-old former world record holder said: "I expected to be carpeted, but the BOA put me out on the street like a dog. It was humiliating and I can't help but feel this is a sledgehammer to crack a nut."

But Clegg hit back: "I'm disappointed that Mark is sounding off about this. When we spoke to him about this with his team manager, he admitted he was entirely in the wrong.

"He was conscious of the decision he was making and he could offer no defence for the action that he took.

"We talked through the issue and what we did wasn't heavy-handed.

"He put me in an impossible situation because he signed a contract and he broke it knowingly.

"The BOA reminded Foster that he had broken the Team GB guidelines for bodysuits which were agreed with the athletes, the Amateur Swimming Federation of Great Britain and Speedo prior to the Games.

But nothing satisfied the Bath swimmer. "The punishment is all out of proportion to what actually happened," said Foster.

"I'm not a drug cheat, I have not been drunk or out of order in the village. All I have done is wear a different swimsuit in a final because the one I was given did not fit properly.

"I hold my hands up that wearing a different kit to the official British team sponsors was wrong but to be publicly humiliated in such a way for something so petty is beyond belief."

Clegg retorted: "I'd like to think that the BOA is an athlete-friendly organisation. The money that we provide for the athletes is all from sponsorship and fund-raising and we have to have sponsorship agreements in place.

"Foster should think of all the other swimmers who would like to have worn a Speedo-branded swimsuit for their own financial gain.

"The BOA went the extra mile to ensure that the British swimmers had the swimsuit of their choice. We had an arrangement with Speedo to provide it without a logo on but one seems to have got through to Mark with a logo on."

Foster also claimed that the swimming authorities delayed his punishment because the timing of it would have clashed with close friend Colin Jackson's preparations for the hurdles final.

Foster said: "I was staggered when told the reason why the BOA delayed punishing me for three days was that they didn't want to upset Colin Jackson's preparation.

"I was told that as Colin is a big pal of mine, they waited until his race was over as they didn't want him upset by booting me out of the village."

Jackson said Foster's punishment appeared "a bit harsher than what was required" but admitted the BOA "had to do what they had to do and Mark realises that."

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